How to reduce the number of unsubscribers from your email list

In any business your database or list of subscribers is one of your most valuable assets – you’ve added your sign up box to your website (haven’t you?) you’re sending out regular newsletters of tasty tidbits of content and you are monitoring your email newsletter reports to keep track of your open rates.

But then your eyes are drawn to a number in the corner and a sinking feeling comes over you…someone has unsubscribed from your list! There in black and white is a strong message “we’re not interested in your content anymore!”

Well hey, the good news is you’re amazing and your content is packed full of value…but the bad news is that not everyone will agree and the worse news is that we can’t stop people unsubscribing…but we can reduce the chances of seeing a steady stream of readers unsubscribe.

No matter whether you have 50 names on your list or 50,000, following these simple tips will help you to keep your readers on board.

Double opt-in:

Activating double opt-ins means that after someone enters their email address into your sign up box they receive an email automatically asking them to confirm their subscription. The result of asking subscribers to confirm their agreement to be added to your list will be less ‘spam’ complaints.

Focus on one reader and speak to them personally:
When you write your newsletter copy, focus on one reader and write as if you were writing to them alone. Include their name in the body of the content as it acts as an emotional trigger to feel a connection with your words.

This leads me on nicely to my next tip

Add your business name into the ‘subject’ field as well as the ‘from’ field:

Doing so reduces the feelings of disappointment when recipients are drawn into opening the email by the subject then later realising that the title bore no relation to the content. By including your business name twice, there is no ambiguity…therefore happier readers.

Make it easier for readers to unsubscribe:

In recent times there has been a shift towards placing the unsubscribe link at the top of the email rather than in the footer. It’s a psychological trigger because most people who have opened your email are intrigued enough to want to know what you have to say so won’t unsubscribe immediately.

Once they’ve read the content they’re likely to just move onto their next email and not return to the top to unsubscribe (pretty crafty huh?). At the same time if someone is adamant they do want to unsubscribe, there is no benefit to making it difficult for them – no need to prolong the agony. But…

Add an alternative option:

Once someone clicks on unsubscribe, consider adding another prompt which includes ‘emotional copy’ saying something like “Are you sure you want to quit (or give up)?” Both these words are emotionally powerful and make the reader stop and think about whether they are making the right decision.

Remember, it is natural that some of your readers will unsubscribe from your email list over time; their circumstances may have changed or they are receiving too many emails and have unsubscribed from them all…but if you are regularly seeing unsubscribers these tips will help you slow down the exodus.

How are your unsubscriber rates? Have you found ways to reduce the numbers or even better, significantly increase the rate of new subscribers? Your experiences will be really helpful to your fellow readers and I really enjoy reading your stories so please do comment and share with us.